Online Keno: A New Interpretation of an Ancient Game

It is said that Keno was started in China during the Han dynasty some two and a half thousand years ago by the nation's leader, a gentleman by the name of Cheung Leung. At the time of his rule, city funds had become depleted because of a long and protracted war with a neighbouring warlord. Having taxed the residents heavily during this time, Cheung Leung decided to invent a new game to fund the war. So it was that Keno was born. It moved with Chinese migration to Europe and reached the shores of America by sailors in the early twentieth century. It became legal in casinos in Nevada in the late 1930s and now many internet or online pokies casinos, Sky Hooks included, offer online Keno.

Online Keno: Where Chance and Skill Collide

Online Keno is a game of chance in which players choose one of up to twenty numbers from a Keno card that is numbered one to eighty. The chosen numbers are then marked off in a different colour on the virtual card so they can be easily recognised. When all bets are placed, twenty virtual balls are selected at random and, if any are the same as those marked by the gamers, the chosen numbers again change colour, but this time to indicate winning selections. The payout table is on the left-hand side of the screen, so winnings can be easily tracked.

There are a variety of online casinos that offer Online Keno, but the standard layout remains the same and it is very often just the colour scheme that varies. Once the player has picked his favoured online pokies site, it is advisable that he becomes familiar with the game by using the free play option. This allows for risk-free play where strategies and skills can be honed before playing for real money. Though a game of chance, every Keno player should look at discovering the optimum odds, as this can increase the chances of winning. In a game where twenty numbers can be played the highest odds of winning can be obtained by selecting between two and eight, where the odds are between one in four and one in eight.

Keno carries with it a very rich cultural heritage. However, if you want to get back to the fast paced world of the slot machines, try out another one of our hot pokies – Retro Reels video pokies – and old school experience with a modern twist.